You will always have a delicious time with Gregory Gourdet, one of Portland's most well-liked chefs. Many people know him by his modern Asian cuisine, served at the sleek, maritime-themed Departure restaurant and lounge atop The Nines hotel in downtown Portland.

Others became fans by watching Gourdet compete in Bravo's "Top Chef" reality cooking show. During the long 2015 season, he devised creative uses of fresh, exotic ingredients. In the end, he rose to second place.

On Thursday, Aug. 10, there's another chance to virtually enjoy sumptuous dishes by the personable chef. Follow along with the live kitchen cam, starting at 3:15 p.m., as Gourdet prepares a Sexy, Pan Asian dinner for 80 epicureans at the James Beard House, the fabled New York City kitchen of the late culinary king and Portland native.

Gourdet's menu spotlights Oregon seafood, beef and wines. Chinook salmon in a ginger scallion puree will be served with smoked butter clams and pickled chanterelles teased with garlic, jalapeno, shallot, thyme and basil. The course will be paired with Stoller Family Estate's 2015 Pinot Noir Rose.

Another way, typically reserved for friends, to witness Gourdet's journey to memorable meals is to stand next to him when he cooks at home. His surprisingly small, but highly efficient bachelor pad kitchen is perched inside the modular Slate building in Northeast Portland's Burnside Bridgehead.

Despite being narrow, the carefully curated galley kitchen has elbow room and everything within reach.

Gourdet's advice for making a kitchen of any size efficient: Keep items to a minimum, but don't compromise. Pare down gadgets. Splurge on at least two great knives: a Japanese paring knife and chef knife. And manage spices and food so there's no waste.

"The last thing I want to do is throw food away," says Gourdet, whose Haitian parents came to the U.S. before Gourdet was born. He grew up in New York City's Queens borough. "Haiti is a country with a history of economic struggle. We were raised to appreciate food and how it was produced. I know how hard it is to grow food and I respect all aspects of it."

Save. Savor.

Gourdet calls his food modern global with elements of comfort and health. It takes talent to pull that off well.

Before Gourdet became a star in Portland and beyond, he learned about Haitian cuisine and the enjoyment of cooking from his mother, aunts and two grandmothers.

"I was the kid who was always tasting, always eating everything," he says with a smile.

"Gregory Brainin really taught me everything I know about flavor combinations, the use of acid and chiles, using things properly and finding inspiration," says Gourdet.

Gourdet's homemade dishes aren't as complicated as what's on the menu at Departure, still a lot of care is put into orchestrating flavors from durian, jackfruit and other uncommon produce found at farmers and Asian markets.

His iPad holds his recipe library and let's him read blogs while listening to electronica.

Multitasking objects are essential in a compact space.

A stainless-steel table between the open kitchen and the entry works as a prep surface, eating area, craft and plant care counter, and desk for his laptop and notes for original recipes.

Life wasn't always this clutter free.

Gourdet arrived in Portland nine years ago to establish a second phase of his career in this burgeoning food town. He moved into a friend's Northeast Portland bungalow and stayed there while he worked at Urban Farmer and Saucebox restaurants. In 2010, he was hired to elevated the cuisine at Departure.

Last fall, Gourdet packed up and moved to his new, one-bedroom apartment with 820 square feet of living space.

His old home kitchen was jammed with equipment, tools and unneeded stuff like a barely used juicer, aging spices and faded art hung too close to the stove.

"I wanted to start fresh and I was looking for a clean, blank canvas of a kitchen," says Gourdet, who likes the Whirlpool refrigerator, Gold Series gas stove and dishwasher that came with his rental.

Furnishings throughout the apartment needed to unite, yet define, the open kitchen, dining area and living room, and Gourdet wanted Caribbean colors to brighten gray days visible through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Gold-edged mirrors add depth, maximize the appearance of the space and bounce off light, he says.

Gourdet, who acted as his own decorator, found midcentury modern and glamorous Hollywood Regency-style pieces at Pearl District boutiques, West Elm and local second-hand stores. A turquoise dresser came from the Lounge Lizard vintage furniture store. Online sources like Houzz were helpful, too.

On a recent afternoon, Gourdet was in his home kitchen, where he created a summer dessert with strawberries, champagne mangoes, lychees, berries and pickled cherries that was as colorful as his home decor.

He topped the naturally sweet treat with shaved coconut ice, which is equal parts real coconut milk and coconut water with lime, sugar and salt.